Food prices will never fall

THE EDITOR: Food prices will never fall, but persistently increase. The largest onus of cost of living is rising food prices. Notwithstanding our high food import bill, there is still a collective of products grown domestically and sold which ought to put an ease on consumers' pockets.

Over the years, there has been significant reduction in farming activities evident by the growing aforementioned food import bill. Our nation is never seriously impacted by adverse weather events despite many claims to climate change. This is in stark contrast to what transpires in other Caribbean islands.

The adverse geographic crisis we experience is flooding due only to contractors' activities and multitudes engaging in adverse possession of lands or squatting. Excessively clearing lands in high-risk flooding areas and not excessive torrential downpours.

Current and previous government administrations have sold state agricultural lands to private interests who still haven't engaged in anything agrarian.

Instead, some have held the land for speculation for future resale at a high profit. Others have done land development via construction of buildings for commercial and residential utilisation.

A secret key truth to constant elevations in prices is the greed of middlemen.

Purchasing from farmers then adding a high mark-up to then sell to supermarkets who will also add their own mark-up. This is far beyond the given reason of inflation. These parties' mark-ups incessantly increase to the detriment of the wallets of many in society.

CHE AMOROSO

St James